Teddy bears, Lego sets, Barbie dolls and hundreds of other toys are spread throughout the Salvation Army toy shop, waiting to be picked up by families in time for Christmas. “We were really thrilled to see so many donations,” said Kristin Marand, communications manager for the Salvation Army’s prairies and northern territories division. The Salvation Army’s Toy Mountain campaign brought in about 4,000 toys during a two-day push at CF Polo Park last week. However, Marand said the Salvation Army is still “far short” of its goal. “It’s no surprise this year that a lot of folks are struggling, and so we did see fewer donations than we had in previous years.” She said compared to last year, about 2,000 fewer toys have been donated. With 300 families stopping by the toy store every day, the existing donations are going to go quickly. “We’d really love to encourage folks, if they are able, to make a donation at one of the many drop-off locations that are available throughout the City of Winnipeg,” she said. A list of drop-off locations can be found on the CTV News Winnipeg’s Toy Mountain webpage. Marand noted there has been a shortfall, particularly in toys for boys and girls aged between five and six and seven and nine. “If anyone has the capacity to give in any fashion, we’d really, really appreciate that,” she said. “Anything from something as small as a Hot Wheels to something larger, if you can afford it, we’d be so grateful.” Donations are being collected right up until Dec. 23.
